Best I can tell is that the eastern winds have a different effect on the barometric pressures. By the ways the winds set up is a relation from difffent fronts even if they seem small to us can be very detectable to wildlife. Eastern winds come more off the coast verses drier air and winds from the west

From thermodynamics, air will move from hot to cold, high pressure to low pressure. What that means is that an east wind indicates the location of a low pressure system somewhere to the west of your location. Fish somehow sense an approaching low pressure system, stop feeding, and move to deeper water. Since low pressure systems tend to move generally toward the northeast, and spin counterclockwise, how do the fish know?

I've never understood how fish can sense an approaching low, and run for cover. Water has a uniform pressure as depth increases. How can a drop (or dropping) in air pressure cause this effect?

From thermodynamics, air will move from hot to cold, high pressure to low pressure. What that means is that an east wind indicates the location of a low pressure system somewhere to the west of your location. Fish somehow sense an approaching low pressure system, stop feeding, and move to deeper water. Since low pressure systems tend to move generally toward the northeast, and spin counterclockwise, how do the fish know?

I've never understood how fish can sense an approaching low, and run for cover. Water has a uniform pressure as depth increases. How can a drop (or dropping) in air pressure cause this effect?

Bill

Bill,
I hope I can help elaborate on your post with my personal view of the topic. That idea generally applies to deep water or water more than 10' deep. Also; it depends on a many conditions that influence the properties of water (salinity, temperature, altitude, moon phase, oxygen content, etc.). Shallow water is very impressionable and atmospheres of pressure can be amplified in shallow water. The speed the changes occur influence the fish's ability to feed and not to feed. Kind of like our ability to adjust to altitude. Also; high pressures usually move in steadily and move out steadily. In contrast; low pressures move in rapidly and with extreme changes in atmospheres (barometric pressure). This is my opinion on my research and from digesting my fishing reports as a whole.

I think your comments are valid, and that this is a multi-faceted phenomenon.

I agree with flatflyn that an approaching low causes the fishing to shut down until it passes. I've been become friends with several guides in the Carib., and during the slack time on the flats, we've discussed this occurance, and the possible reasons. They don't have an answer either, and could only guess that perhaps a fish's lateral line, which sense vibrations, may also sense pressure.